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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — a series
  15. spell — magic
  16. rash — hasty
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com